


Past in the Present

by Million_Moments



Category: Bones (TV), Stargate SG-1
Genre: F/M, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-03-10
Updated: 2013-03-10
Packaged: 2017-12-04 21:34:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,581
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/715335
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Million_Moments/pseuds/Million_Moments
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Over ten years people change. Original publication date 28.6.07</p>
            </blockquote>





	Past in the Present

**Author's Note:**

> Apologises if the injury stuff is wrong/impossible. Just use your imagination and pretend it is.

Contrary to popular belief at the Pentagon, Cpt. Sam Cater did not know everything. Though it was true she could tell you what was wrong with an engine, irrespective of what it belonged to, pretty much just by listening to it, and she wasn't half bad at identifying plants – she definitely did not know everything. For example, she currently had no idea why most of her shots were slightly left of centre when last week she'd been hitting the target as normal. Sam Carter would never claim to have a desire to know everything, but she certainly did wish she could figure this out.

"Your shoulder is slightly out of line," said an unknown male voice behind her. "I can help you adjust your stance to compensate until you've healed properly. You injured your shoulder recently, didn't you?"

She turned to see one of the most manly shaped men she'd ever set her eyes on. Despite some efforts on her part to keep it down, annoyance flared. She had dislocated her shoulder earlier in the week, but everything had felt fine once it was put back into the socket. Still, she should have been able to guess that it might have been the reason for her dodgy shooting and the fact she had not even considered it set her on the defensive.

"Well, thank you, but I don't need some flyboy to show me how to hold my gun," she turned away from him, and set about dismantling and cleaning her weapon.

"Not a flyboy," said manly man, apparently not taking the hint.

"Really, you don't say," Sam replied in a disinterested tone. "Well this particular range is used mainly by military types so you'll forgive the assumption."

"'Suppose you're partially right. Until recently I was a Ranger, but now I'm just a harmless civilian. Agent Seely Booth, FBI."

Sam decided to be gracious enough to allow the conversation to continue, at least for now. This had everything to do with furthering relationships between civilian and military agencies and nothing to do with the cute smile she'd caught him giving her from the corner of her eye.

"You've been using this range awhile then?" She asked casually as she reassembled her weapon, before turning to face him to receive the answer.

"A few months," he stated. "I've seen you around."

"And yet have only decided to grace me with the wisdom of your shooting expertise today?"

"Today's the first day you've needed it," with those words he took a step towards her. "I suppose the real question is, are you willing to accept it?"

She raised an eyebrow momentarily before giving a slight nod of her head to indicate the answer was yes. She turned and took up her normal shooting stance, and felt the agent come up behind her.

"Now," he said, as he placed an arm firmly under her shoulder blade forcing it upwards a little. "I do prefer it if I know the name of the one I am imparting my wisdom onto. I find it improves the student-teacher relationship."

He stepped back, and Sam emptied the chamber into the centre of the target. Both pleased and annoyed, she lay down her gun and turned to him offering her hand.

"Sam Cater."

He shook her hand, "And what military type are you then?"

"U.S. Air force, Captain," She replied, unsurprised at his guessing her career. "By the way where are you taking me?"

Agent Seely Booth (what kind of name is Seeley?) appeared confused by her question.

"For coffee?" Sam clarified.

Booth grinned.

* * *

 

The relationship with Booth lasted 3 months, and it was a good three months. But then Sam was called to Colorado. Even though things were going well, they were still to early on to bother with attempting some kind of long distance thing. Booth having been military himself eased the ending of the relationship. The break-up was amicable and understandable. But neither forgot the usefulness of having a contact in each others position, and so a friendship of some form did manage to be maintained between the two of them.

And now, ten years after Sam Carter said goodbye, she found herself in a long distance relationship that was (officially) still in the early stages itself. Said relationship meant she found herself in D.C., a lot, and so allowed her to arrange to see Booth in person once again. They decided to have a friendly lunch to discuss how times had changed.

There was something almost suspicious about how jealous Jack was. She was not unused to seeing this emotion, though normally it manifested itself as quiet sulking rather than this jealous-almost-rage he was in now, telling her he did not want her to go to lunch with Booth. She wondered if he'd pulled Booth's file and after reading it actually considered him a threat. She knew that she should be really annoyed, but it was also kind of cute.

Sam only knew one effective way to shut Jack up, and though she could sneak out afterwards whilst he was sleeping she'd already done her hair today and couldn't be bothered to do so again. Not to mention the fact Booth would probably smell the sex on her, and with his ability to read people, smirk all through lunch.

She looked up from checking the weather report (hot and humid, maybe she'd change into a low cut top to piss Jack off some more) to find Jack still standing by the percolator rambling on about why she shouldn't go. He was now arguing that Booth could not have any kind of innocent intentions about the meal and that going would be leading him on, which wasn't fair.

"Why don't you come along," She said, interrupting his tirade. "If I bring my boyfriend, then he's sure not to get his signals crossed."

She noted Jack's slight cringe at the term boyfriend – he had told her he felt to old for words like that- but the cringe was quickly replaced by a calculating look as he probably tried to work out what appointment he was going to have to get out of to manage this.

"Besides," Sam continued. "Booth is bringing his partner, he really wants me to meet her, and you know what they say about three people."

"Partner?" Said Jack brightly. "As in...?"

"Work."

Jack's face fell, "Well I should come along then, where are you meeting?"

Sam jotted down directions on a post it for Jack and having finally shut him up, was able to now concentrate on her emails. She supposed she had better warn Booth.

* * *

 

Sam was first to arrive at the diner, but this didn't surprise her as both Jack and Booth were coming from work. However it was not so long before Sam spotted Booth moving through the busy diner. Though he was not actually touching her, there was a woman at his side he was practically dragging along. They kept pausing to bicker and Sam could have sworn she lip read Booth telling her to 'just behave this one time'. The look he received for that comment, Sam was surprised he was still standing and not on his way to E.R.

As they got closer Sam realised that the woman with Booth was not unfamiliar.

"Dr. Brennan," she couldn't help by exclaim as they arrived at the table. "It's so nice to see you again. Booth didn't tell me it was you he wanted me to meet."

"You two know each other?" Booth asked as they exchanged a friendly hug.

"We've worked together," said Brennan vaguely.

"On?"

Sam rolled her eyes and replied, her tone layered in sarcasm, "Deep space radar telemetry."

She saw that Dr. Brennan seemed a little miffed at her lack of regard for the cover story of the SGC, but Booth was not a stupid man. He was going to know that there was no use for a forensic anthropologist on an astronomy science project. Therefore he would know it was a cover story, but he would also have the good sense not to push the issue any further.

"Jack might be a little late; I believe he had a telephone conference with the British PM."

"Jack O'Neill?" enquired Brennan. "Colonel O'Neill holds telephone conferences with Prime Ministers?"

"It's been three years Dr. Brennan, Jack is now a Major General based here in D.C."

"You're dating a two star general," Booth interjected.

"You're dating?" Brennan asked sounding shocked. She turned to Booth, "Is that allowed?"

Being familiar with Brennan, Sam was not offended she'd asked the question of somebody else instead of her. At the SGC she'd nearly always asked Daniel her questions, to the point where Jack offered to give them each a walkie talkie so they could be in constant contact.

"Relationships between military personnel are only forbidden between individuals in the same chain of command," Booth explained.

"General O'Neill's promotion means this rule no longer applies," Sam finished.

Brennan leaned forward with an air of conspiracy, "Were you two breaking the rules when he was still your boss?"

"Bones!" Booth objected, loudly. Sam didn't ask about the nickname.

"What?" Said Brennan defensively. "It's not like I'm going to turn them into the military police if she says yes? I'm interested from an anthropological prospective how seriously such rules are followed. Did you know the Spartans encouraged relationships between their warriors as they believed it made them fight harder? It seems to me ridiculous that in an institution such as the military where many like minded people will be forced to work in close proximity, and trust each other with their lives, that rules would be put in place that would forbid the development of relationships that could foster such trust."

"Bones those rules are in place for a very good reason. You can't have that kind of relationship with someone and remain neutral about military decisions that may put their lives in danger," Booth sounded exasperated, like they had had this argument a thousand times even though it was probably the first time they had ever discussed the topic.

"But if both individuals are military then they must understand the risks of the careers they have chosen. Any person who could not make a neutral tactical decision would never make it to a position where they would have to decide whose lives to risk."

"What's she on about?"

Sam smiled up at Jack, "Dr. Brennan is providing us with an anthropological critique of the fraternisation regs."

Booth had stood at the sound of Jack's voice, the sight of him in dress blues probably igniting his military training. He was probably fighting the urge to stand to stand fully to attention.

"Dr. Brennan," Jack acknowledged. "I'd be happy to pass your comments onto the President."

"General O'Neill, congratulations on the promotion."

"Jack, this is Special Agent Seeley Booth," Sam introduced the two men, who eyed each other up as they shook hands. Sam prayed Jack wouldn't make a comment about the name. He did refrain, but Sam thought she detected a return of the jealousy.

Jack settled down beside Sam, "So it's been ten years since you two last saw each other, looks like there have been changes in rank on both sides."

"Yes Sir, thought I believe Sam is progressing faster than I am," Booth added. Sam noted Jack didn't ask him to drop the 'Sir'.

"I would think that Special Agent in Charge is just as good as Lt. Colonel!" Dr. Brennan said, she sounded like she was defending Booth, who looked surprised at her statement himself.

"I'm inclined to agree Dr. Brennan," said Sam, before Jack could even comment on the subject.

"Sam told me we were meeting Booth's partner, have you switched your allegiances to the FBI Dr. Brennan or just fighting crime in your spare time?"

"I'm still working for the Jeffersonian, I just now have a fuller part in criminal investigations."

"Evidently you enjoy it," Jack commented.

Brennan gave him a smile, one Sam interpreted as meaning there was more being said than just the words that could be heard, "I don't think I've ever enjoyed my work more."

Jack returned the smile, "That's good. When you find people you work well with you should stick close by them."

Okay, thought Sam, something else is going on here. Still, something about that brief exchange caused Jack to warm to Booth considerably. Sam knew he was quiet fond of Brennan; there was a time when she'd been a little jealous herself. Every time Brennan was doing a consult at the SGC he had taken at least the same amount of time annoying her about working too hard as he did Sam and Daniel. He had told her on no uncertain terms she was obsessed with her job, especially when she'd flown in from Brazil to work on the non-urgent project of establishing if the remains from Maybourne's moon were definitely human.

The rest of lunch progressed without incident, unless you could call Sam blatantly stealing Jack's fries until he just tipped them all on top of her mixed leaf salad an incident. He stole one of her tomatoes and said they'd call it even. Booth and Brennan left together to check on the squints (Sam wasn't quiet sure what that meant) and she caught a ride with Jack.

In the car, she couldn't resist asking him, "So that conversation you had with Brennan about her job?"

"Yes, you know I think Booth is good for her," Jack replied vaguely – Sam knew he knew what she was on about.

"He seems to like her as well," Sam agreed. "Though also hate her..."

"I think they'd give up their lives for each other."

Sam was a bit taken about by Jack's statement. He'd said it like it was the most romantic thing in the world, which she supposed it kind of was. What really surprised her was the implication of romance and his apparent interest in it.

"You think there is something more going on, because Booth made it quiet clear they only worked together," said Sam, now more interested in this.

"I'm sure there isn't anything else going on, but I'd bet there's the potential for it."

"Oh?" Said Sam flatly. "Why the interest? She's not secretly your sister, is she?"

Jack gave her a sideways glance, "No, I just think it's nice she has something she's not willing to let go of for some interesting work."

And with that Sam thought she had the answer to her first question, "Brennan turned down work at the SGC, and you think it was so she could keep working with Booth."

"Nearly. Dr. Brennan was offered the chance to go to Atlantis. I thought she'd jump at the chance to work on alien physiology but Davies told me she turned the offer down. Now I think I know why."

Sam grinned. Jack was apparently as good at reading people as Booth was.

"Did we find somebody to replace her?" She asked, mostly in an attempt to try and show she was interested in Jack's job.

"Yes actually. I'm wondering if she's going to figure it out when she hears"

"What do you mean? We're not using Deep Space Radar Telemetry as the cover story are we?"

"No, the cover is identifying remains in Iraq," Jack clarified. "But the replacement is her former grad student, Dr. Zack Addy."


End file.
